The debate began with what appeared to be a simple motion, proposed by Lubberts, to direct staff to bring forward a budget with an increase of no more than 2.5 per cent to the 2013 tax levy.

But after some amendments which no one seemed to really understand, some rehashed debate on the town’s reserve policy, some heated rhetoric and a bunch of “respectfully disagreeing” they ultimately ended up right back where the started.

Mayor Doug Martin was opposed to the motion, and said the 2.5 per cent target was “basically unrealistic.”

“You’re setting a goal without identifying what’s needed yet,” said Martin. “Let’s just have staff come back like they always do with a frank, simple budget. We don’t need to approve some piece of paper to give them guidance.”

Others, like Ward 1 Coun. Stephen Passero and Ward 2 Coun. Rick Shular were opposed to the 2.5 per cent target on grounds of transparency.

“This is the easy way out,” said Passero. “As elected officials, we should be the ones to have to decide, and say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to funding for individual projects.”

Chamberlain agreed, and said the 2.5 per cent target would “remove some of the fulsome debate” from the budget process.

“It’s important to see the whole picture, not just a picture that sums up to 2.5 per cent,” said Chamberlain.

The ever-exciting topic of reserve policy replenishment also surfaced for what felt like hours, with councillors again arguing about the need and process by which reserves should be topped up.

“I think we are really over debating this,” said Martin, who noted the 90 minutes spent arguing over a motion to set a target for the budget, could have been better spent doing actual budget debate.

By the time they were done Martin said the changes to the original motion of 2.5 per cent were so drastic, it shouldn’t even really be passed because it was now fundamentally different from the one originally proposed.

Council agreed and the motion was defeated, then brought back with amendments and defeated again.

-xxx- SIDEBAR

Contention was brewing in all kinds of strange places on Tuesday.

While you wouldn’t expect an information session on policy updates from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation to be a hot-button issue, it nonetheless ended with a bizarre conflict between Mayor Doug Martin and Ward 5 Coun. Don Lubberts.

The town’s director of community and development services, Rick Brady, had previously been asked by Lubberts about a property matter. Lubberts asked Brady about the issue again this week, but felt he was not getting the answer he was looking for.

After continuing his questioning for some time, Martin attempted to interject but this only made Lubberts talk louder and louder.

The two men then shouted over one another for a short while until Martin silenced the room with a few resounding cracks of his gravel.

“You may not respect me, but you have to respect the Chair,” said Martin, before reminding Lubberts of the rules and procedures, and ordering him to cease interrupting the Chair.

Lubberts responded by saying he too is often interrupted by other members of council.